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Yes, people make mistakes. But this is NOT the way to fix the mistake that has been made here. One other option would be to retire the horse in the field she was apparently turned out in when the jockey/trainer noticed her and suggested she be run at a bush track.

Everything is simple if you have money. The reality is that people often buy horses like this because they cannot afford something more appropriate.

The horse is pretty well bred. She is 7 years old by Jambalaya Jazz, and has career earnings of $111,784 in 46 starts.
The previous owner is going to **** a brick when they get word of what this horse is doing.

Sometimes I think the tattoo is a death sentence - since if a horse has it and can be looked up in the Jockey Club, then it can be raced and raced and raced. A jockey and trainer saw this TB mare in a field and came looking for their next race horse... Very sad. She is seven, she has paid her dues and doesn't deserve to be pulled and trained just cuz she has a tattoo.

You can designate a horse as retired from racing with the jockey club now which is something we have been clamoring for for many years. It is relatively new so most people are probably not aware that it is an option. Not sure if these types of races are restricted to registered horses or not though. A tattoo is not enough in regulated races.

Um....wow, I disagree with all of that. Personally I'd like to see all rope halters burned--a chain over the nose is a lot less nasty than yanking on their poll with pressure that can't be relieved, and a racehorse knows what it's there for. A lip chain, no, that shouldn't be used unless you know what you're doing.

And FineAlready is right about the bit--depends on the horse. Some don't like joints of any kind and find them extremely harsh. It's impossible to say without seeing the horse in question go.

And, I disagree with this. A rope halter doesn't apply pressure an keep applying it. The handler takes care of that. A rope halter is less likely to cause damage than a chain over the nose or under the chin and has less sharp metallic edges. A rope halter is just as gentle as a nylon halter as long as the horse isn't pulling back.

My mare had the typical OTTB lead line manners (yes, I'm generalizing, and yes I realize not all OTTB have these manners). She would swing her head around and hit yours, walk into you, pull on you. I put a rope halter on her and taught her ground manners. Not once have I used a chain on her. Ever. She now goes quietly in a nylon, leather or rope halter. My rope halter hasn't injured her once and it doesn't go around applying pressure without my consent.

I agree with the general consensus to give your horse some down time to allow her to decompress. Then, I would enlist in the help of an experienced trainer that has had success with OTTB retraining. The fact that you are asking about the type of bit to put in her mouth signifies to me that you know very little about proper training. All horses should be able to go in a snaffle. If you think they need stronger "brakes" then you and the horse need retraining.

Originally Posted by dizzywriter

My saddle fits perfectly well. It might be a little tight around the waist, but I take care of that with those spandex things.

Everything is simple if you have money. The reality is that people often buy horses like this because they cannot afford something more appropriate.

It is also very simple to NOT BUY A HORSE if you do not have the money for an appropriate mount.

Not to mention, if this person does not have enough money to purchase an appropriate mount, she should absolutely not be breeding. She also apparently owns other horses (QH), so the money argument is BS. I can only afford to keep one horse in appropriate living conditions. So, I have the ONE HORSE.

It is also very simple to NOT BUY A HORSE if you do not have the money for an appropriate mount.

Not to mention, if this person does not have enough money to purchase an appropriate mount, she should absolutely not be breeding. She also apparently owns other horses (QH), so the money argument is BS. I can only afford to keep one horse in appropriate living conditions. So, I have the ONE HORSE.

Really? I don't think I'm assuming anything at all. Everything in my posts comes from the OP's posts. You are the one adding detail to her story that makes her less culpable for what she is doing to this poor mare.

Wow.... I didn't realize so many people were so ignorant about racehorses until I read through this thread. Do you show horse folks really think you are THAT great? A horse is a horse, whether it be a racehorse, an eventer, a reiner, or a Shetland.

Some bloodlines are different, some horses are hot, some pushy, some dog gentle. Just because a horse has raced does not mean it isn't still just a horse. If it can be lead up to the paddock, saddled in front of a crowd, have a rider legged up on its back on the go (someone that has usually never been on them before), and perform, well, I'd like to see some of your horses handle that.

At the track, if you aren't knowledgeable with horses you had better be a quick learner, because unlike the show horse barns, racehorses are not entrusted to morons for very long. These horses KNOW how to behave. Bad behavior is rarely tolerated, it can't be. Some horses are rank, but they still have to get over themselves and comply. They don't get excuses like your show and pleasure horses.

These horses are totally rideable and fine to work with when they come off the track. The only thing that slows them down is a new owner/rider that thinks s/he is some super all-knowing "trainer" that has to totally "redo" everything the horse knows. Folks, halter broke is halter broke no matter how it was done. Once they know, they know. While I'm sure the person that did it was totally ignorant in your eyes, the horse knows how to lead. So move on.

WHY would u let a perfectly ridable young horse that already knows how to be ridden waste away in a field for X amount of time? All that does is put an even fresher young horse on your hands. If you aren't confident enough, that's totally respectable and understandable, find a trainer that is confident, because in order to produce a good riding horse, you have to RIDE it. Not whack it with an orange stick and tie knots in its halter.

In the OP's defense, the BHS races are not like the terrible bush tracks you hear about. I would consider Miles City a bush track, yes. However the majority of people that run their horses there are good natured, kind hearted people that just want to have fun. It is not an intense cutthroat environment. Heck they barely pay the gas it takes to get there, and it's not much of a "meet" , it is more of a weekend. It's like rust breeches said, essentially just an epic party. One race going 5 after the mare has been out to pasture for a while will not kill her, so please stop with the crocodile tears.

Wow.... I didn't realize so many people were so ignorant about racehorses until I read through this thread. Do you show horse folks really think you are THAT great? A horse is a horse, whether it be a racehorse, an eventer, a reiner, or a Shetland.

Some bloodlines are different, some horses are hot, some pushy, some dog gentle. Just because a horse has raced does not mean it isn't still just a horse. If it can be lead up to the paddock, saddled in front of a crowd, have a rider legged up on its back on the go (someone that has usually never been on them before), and perform, well, I'd like to see some of your horses handle that.

At the track, if you aren't knowledgeable with horses you had better be a quick learner, because unlike the show horse barns, racehorses are not entrusted to morons for very long. These horses KNOW how to behave. Bad behavior is rarely tolerated, it can't be. Some horses are rank, but they still have to get over themselves and comply. They don't get excuses like your show and pleasure horses.

These horses are totally rideable and fine to work with when they come off the track. The only thing that slows them down is a new owner/rider that thinks s/he is some super all-knowing "trainer" that has to totally "redo" everything the horse knows. Folks, halter broke is halter broke no matter how it was done. Once they know, they know. While I'm sure the person that did it was totally ignorant in your eyes, the horse knows how to lead. So move on.

WHY would u let a perfectly ridable young horse that already knows how to be ridden waste away in a field for X amount of time? All that does is put an even fresher young horse on your hands. If you aren't confident enough, that's totally respectable and understandable, find a trainer that is confident, because in order to produce a good riding horse, you have to RIDE it. Not whack it with an orange stick and tie knots in its halter.

In the OP's defense, the BHS races are not like the terrible bush tracks you hear about. I would consider Miles City a bush track, yes. However the majority of people that run their horses there are good natured, kind hearted people that just want to have fun. It is not an intense cutthroat environment. Heck they barely pay the gas it takes to get there, and it's not much of a "meet" , it is more of a weekend. It's like rust breeches said, essentially just an epic party. One race going 5 after the mare has been out to pasture for a while will not kill her, so please stop with the crocodile tears.

I actually thought that more of us were saying what you are saying (TBs are horses, just like any other horse) than not. Totally agree that most TBs are well-handled and capable. I actually don't think they all need down time in a field after racing, either (mine did not have down time).

As for the mare that is the subject of the OP? I'm not really saying that this one race is going to kill her. But I highly doubt the OP is going to race this mare just one time. And the OP has zero business breeding racehorses if she knows nothing about them and considers this one way too hot for her.

The horse is pretty well bred. She is 7 years old by Jambalaya Jazz, and has career earnings of $111,784 in 46 starts.
The previous owner is going to **** a brick when they get word of what this horse is doing.

Or not. The OP indicated she bought the horse because it "didn't have a future" where it was. They may very well not give a crap as they sold the horse and aren't at all interested in what it's doing now. In any case, their opinion's irrelevant. It's not their horse. The OP decided she prefers to ride her QHs and has someone who wants to run her in conditions where she might be competitive.

While I can see breeding her ($100k+ isn't a bad record and she's not badly bred) I wonder if the OP means to a TB. That isn't an area crawling with good TB stallions. Most of the horses in that race are bred out of state. OTOH, if the OP breeds QHs, that's not the world's most uncommon cross so maybe she wants to try for a baby crossed on something with a bit more of the temper she likes. She didn't say she was going to breed a TB baby.

Breeding a horse because you cannot be bothered to learn to ride it or train the horse so that you can sell it is not a responsible decision to make. This is the ignorant irresponsible choices that send horses to slaughter. Breeding will never train that horse to have a valuable skill, it will only give the OP another horse to abandon and heaven help her if she breeds another mare. Op will likely breed that mare as well.

It is sad and stupid. Get the horse trained as a riding horse and sell her to someone who wants her.

Really? I don't think I'm assuming anything at all. Everything in my posts comes from the OP's posts. You are the one adding detail to her story that makes her less culpable for what she is doing to this poor mare.

Well, most notably she said that she rides QHs and has for 35 years. Didn't say that she owned one--ever. Said horse was in a field, did not say the field belonged to her. So I would say that those are a couple of rather huge assumptions on your part.

Says she is going to breed the mare, but if it is in a claimer, she may not get that chance. Could be a pipe dream anyway...

OTOH, if the OP breeds QHs, that's not the world's most uncommon cross so maybe she wants to try for a baby crossed on something with a bit more of the temper she likes. She didn't say she was going to breed a TB baby.

It's this kind of laissez-faire attitude toward breeding that gives us so many poorly built animals that end up going to slaughter (especially QHs). If the animal doesn't have some kind of amazing, outstanding, remarkable trait that needs to be passed on, then don't breed it. If you're breeding a mare, she'd better be a stakes winner, jumping 5+ feet, or doing 1 tempis, of the offspring of an animal who does. Having working ovaries is not a valid justification for breeding. There are enough horses out there who don't have homes (or the OP wouldn't have this one), let's not encourage adding to that problem.

Well, most notably she said that she rides QHs and has for 35 years. Didn't say that she owned one--ever. Said horse was in a field, did not say the field belonged to her. So I would say that those are a couple of rather huge assumptions on your part.

Says she is going to breed the mare, but if it is in a claimer, she may not get that chance. Could be a pipe dream anyway...

Okay, I guess you are right about assuming she "owns" the QH's she has ridden for the past 35 years. I very much doubt that this is the first and only horse she has ever owned, but whatever. And I never stated or implied that she OWNS the field, just that the horse was turned out in one, which is exactly what the OP said was the case. Whether she owns the field or not is irrelevant. The horse was in a field. I'm not sure why you think racing this mare at a bush track is somehow the only option out of a bad situation.

When I run into trouble with a horse, I can honestly say my mind has never, ever gone to..."how will I ever resolve this...BUSH TRACK!"